July 26, 2026, 5:01 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Palm trees, infinity pools, and spectacular views–on social media, the lives of many travel influencers seem like an endless vacation. But the reality behind the perfect pictures is often quite different. High workloads, economic uncertainties, and new challenges from artificial intelligence now shape the profession. Two successful travel influencers share how their business really works–and why they only partially recommend this career path today.
From Travel Blog to Own Business
The journey of Biggi Bauer (41) and Florian Westermann (46) began in 2010 with the blog “Phototravellers”. Initially, the website was intended to serve as a digital diary for friends and family. Shortly thereafter, Florian Westermann sold his first travel photos. The couple recognized the economic potential of travel content. Starting in 2016, they expanded their presence to Instagram and YouTube, later adding TikTok. Two years later, both left their permanent jobs and made traveling their profession. Today, their income comes from multiple sources, as they report to BILD.
Affiliate links play a central role, recommending hotels, cameras, or travel accessories. If a purchase is made through these links, the two receive a commission. Additionally, there are paid collaborations with travel agencies, tourism boards, and destinations. “Our travel blog has been one of the largest in the German-speaking world for years and is currently our most important source of income,” says Florian Westermann. At the same time, Instagram continues to gain importance for the couple. With nearly 70,000 followers, interest from companies in collaborations is growing.
High Income Possible
Through their blog, Bauer and Westermann also market ad banners and offer their own products like e-books and an online photography course. YouTube also contributes to their income. The platform shares 55 percent of the revenue generated by ads before or during the videos with creators. On Instagram, however, income comes almost exclusively from paid partnerships. “If we had to rely on just one platform, it would be YouTube, because you can achieve monetary success relatively quickly here,” says Florian. Overall, the two earn six-figure annual revenues.
Behind the Pictures Lies a High Workload
The profession seems attractive at first glance but requires much more than posting beautiful vacation photos. Travel destinations must be researched, articles written, and regularly updated. This includes planning, filming, and editing videos, as well as daily social media posts. Campaign planning, email communication, accounting, contract negotiations, and interaction with business partners are also part of the daily routine. “Additionally, the blog must be technically maintained and updated,” says Westermann. His personal conclusion: “We work much more and harder today than we did in our permanent jobs. In return, we enjoy a freedom that many envy.”
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Who Finances the Travels?
There’s often the impression that influencers travel for free. In reality, there are so-called barter deals. Creators receive hotel stays, flights, or products and publish content about them in return. Companies gain reach, while influencers save on travel costs. Biggi Bauer and Florian Westermann consciously avoid this model. “With free invitations, we can’t pay rent or employees,” says Westermann. They also point out tax risks. Free services are considered income by the tax office and must be taxed accordingly–even if no money is paid out.
Cruise Providers Increasingly Rely on Social Media
The cruise industry is also increasingly working with influencers. The goal is to reach younger audiences and change the traditional image of cruising. Among the most well-known internationally is American Alex Ojeda. For Royal Caribbean, the 24-year-old showcases attractions like water slides or zip lines on board. He does not discuss his compensation. With around 14 million followers, he made it onto the “Forbes 30 Under 30” list in the social media category this year.
In Germany, Matthias Morr has established himself as a cruise influencer. The 50-year-old regularly publishes content about trips with AIDA and TUI Cruises on YouTube and Instagram. “I now pay for the trips myself,” says Morr. This keeps him more independent and avoids tax issues. He only occasionally enters into collaborations with cruise lines. “I have to stand behind the content and maintain my credibility,” explains Morr. “My business wouldn’t work long-term if I mostly did advertising.”
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Credibility Becomes More Important Than Reach
The number of followers alone increasingly rarely determines success today. Companies are paying more attention to credible recommendations and good storytelling. This benefits smaller travel creators in particular. Their community often trusts personal experiences more than large accounts with millions of followers. This is also reflected in higher interaction rates: users comment more frequently, ask questions, and are more likely to book recommended hotels or trips. Royal Caribbean is now deliberately pursuing this strategy. A spokesperson confirms that smaller influencers are increasingly being selected. Virgin Voyages reached a similar conclusion. After experiences with large influencers, the cruise line is now also focusing more on smaller creators. While they reach fewer people, their tips more often lead to actual bookings.
Why Westermann Only Partially Recommends the Profession
Despite their success, Biggi Bauer and Florian Westermann would only partially advise young people to become travel influencers. Florian Westermann cites the high planning effort, necessary creativity, and patience required to build successful social media channels as reasons. And: “With great reach come not only friendly people.” Additionally, traditional travel blogs are increasingly under pressure due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence. “This is a new challenge that all content creators must face,” says Westermann. Therefore, Biggi Bauer and Florian Westermann have expanded their offerings and taken a step into the analog world with the book “Photo Escapades in Germany.”